NEW YORK - Carlos Beltran let Saturday night's deadline to re-sign with the Houston Astros pass without an agreement, and the New York Mets were trying to close a deal with the speedy center fielder.
Both the Mets and the Astros were on the telephone Saturday night with Beltran's agent, Scott Boras. While Houston had to sign him by midnight or lose rights until May 1 under baseball rules, the Mets and other teams did not have that restriction.
Just after the deadline passed, Boras said he was still negotiating with New York. The commissioner's office confirmed there was no agreement with the Astros.
The Mets, who haven't made the playoffs since 2000, were trying to pull off a coup for the second time this offseason. They lured three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez from the Boston Red Sox last month with a $53 million, four-year deal.
Houston was disappointed it couldn't keep Beltran, who led the Astros within one win of their first World Series appearance.
"Scott called us to let us know they were going to go in a different direction," Astros general manager Tim Purpura said.
There was no immediate comment from the Mets.
Ruben Sierra, also facing the deadline, decided to remain with the New York Yankees, agreeing to a $1.5 million, one-year contract. Backup first baseman Dave McCarty stayed with the Boston Red Sox, agreeing to a minor league deal that would pay him $550,000 if he is added to the major league roster.
Pitcher Pedro Astacio (Boston) and catcher Brent Mayne (Los Angeles) also let the deadline pass.
In other free-agent news, the Cleveland Indians finalized their $7 million, one-year contract with Kevin Millwood. The 30-year-old right-hander has three seasons with at least 17 wins and has pitched more than 200 innings four times but was slowed last year by elbow problems.
"I'm not real worried about it," Millwood said. "If I was at a point right now that I felt I wouldn't be able to pitch all year, I probably wouldn't have signed."
While talking with Beltran, the Mets agreed to a one-year contract with South Korean left-hander Dae Sung Koo, who pitched in the 2000 Olympics and spent the last four years with the Orix BlueWave in Japan's Pacific League.
Among players eligible for salary arbitration, Texas catcher Rod Barajas agreed to a $1.85 million, one-year deal.
